2 
(5.) An analysis of the battles of the last three great European wars leads 
him to fix the number of shell per gun at 102. Hence a further comparison of 
existing varieties of field equipment determines the weight of the shell at 14°3 Ibs., 
taking the charge of smokeless cubical powder at 3 lbs. 
(6.) It follows from (4) that if the shell is to weigh 14°83 lbs. the calibre 
must be 2°76 inches. 
(7.) Calculation, and comparison of ancient, existing, and experimental gun 
carriages, give the weight of the gun and carriage as 2094 lbs. 
(8.) Calculation and comparison give the best division of this weight as 
882 lbs. for the gun and 1212 Ibs. for the carriage. 
(9.) Calculation, personal experience and the experiments of Griison and 
Krupp give 45 métre tons or 14°77 foot tons! as the greatest energy of recoil of 
the gun that such a carriage, of the best modern construction, will stand. 
~(10.) This energy corresponds to a muzzle velocity of 2625 f.s. 
(11.) Given a gun of fixed calibre to produce a fixed amount of energy, it 
is clear that the longer the gun the less the powder pressure. 
(12.) To bring down his powder pressure? General Wille therefore makes 
his gun as long as possible. Practical considerations lead him to fix the length 
of the rifling at 7 feet, and the total length at 9 feet 22 inches. 
(18.) After considering the claims of the interrupted screw and Krupp 
wedge he selects the Griison falling block breech-closing arrangement as being the 
lightest and most efficient. (This system is very like the breech action of a 
Nordenfeldt Q.F. gun). 
(14.) Anticipating some difficulty in obturation at the high pressure pro- 
posed, he decides for a metallic self-obturating cartridge with detonating cap 
complete—in fact, for “ fixed ammunition.” 
(15.) Having regard to the principle laid down in (1) General Wille decides 
that all his shell are to be shrapnel with base burster and preferably tungsten 
bullets,? except a few high explosive shell. As for case, in the Franco-German 
war batteries carried 8 per cent. of case and fired 0°12 per cent. only—whence he 
concludes that case shot are useless. Moreover they are neither so quickly loaded 
nor so effective as his “fixed ammunition ” complete with cartridge, cap and fuze 
set at. zero ready to be loaded into the gun. 
(16.) uzes.—A water fuze perfected by himself. During flight the water 
(or non-freezing liquid) inside is driven out by centrifugal force. When it is all 
out the shell explodes. It is only necessary before loading to regulate the 
amount of water inside by turning the head round. 
(17.) The principle of the automatic fuze key consists in setting the key, 
not the fuze. The key is a socket on the trail or limber with a graduated ring 
set to the range, and an adjustable zero set.to the distance short of burst. 
(18.) Details of Gun Construction.—General Wille does not fully explain 
the construction of his gun, but appears to favor a Mannesmann rolled 4 tube of 
nickel steel strengthened by hoops shrunk on. Rifling to be Maitland B.L. with 
increasing twist, pitch to be decided by experiment. 
(19.) Details of Carriage. —A. Griison buffer carriage (resembling English 
(w+ hw’)? V2 
E="9 9 W. 2240 
~ 2In his second book he reckons the maximum préssure at 26 tons on the square inch. 
3 His weights and dimensions are calculated on the supposition that the bullets are of lead. 
1C.f. 12-pr. 5:067 foot tons, new 15-pr. 5:44 foot tons calculated by the same formula 
